Education Policy Analyst

Reason Magazine; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Reason Foundation is seeking an Education Policy Analyst to provide policy research and data-driven analysis supporting school finance reform efforts. The role involves examining state education laws, analyzing appropriations and budget bills, and summarizing school finance formulas, among other duties.

The ideal candidate is quantitatively oriented, resourceful, detail-oriented, and able to write policy memos or blog posts.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills.
• Excel skills and comfort combining datasets.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and a programming language such as R is preferred, but not required.
• Strong writing and communication skills; ability to explain complex concepts to non-experts.
• Curiosity and self-motivation to learn new things and tackle difficult problems.

Responsibilities

• Researching and summarizing components of state education finance laws to support policy research and implementation.
• Compiling and analyzing complex datasets and communicating findings to the team and stakeholders.
• Supporting the quantitative analyst with data projects, including statistical analysis and visualizations.
• Tracking legislative reform efforts in various states and producing regular reports for the education policy team.
• Tracking and recording outputs for the education policy team, including meetings, columns, and other outputs.
• Assisting with writing commentary and blog posts for Reason.org and other outlets.
• Occasional travel might be required.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel

R (preferred)

Writing & communication

Curiosity & self-motivation

Explain complex concepts

Mission alignment

Tools

Excel

R

Job description

Reason Foundation advances a free society by developing, applying, and promoting libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets, and the rule of law.

Reason Foundation produces respected, nonpartisan public policy research on a variety of issues and publishes the critically acclaimed Reason magazine. Together, our top-tier think tank and political and cultural magazine reach a diverse, influential audience, advancing the values of choice, individual freedom, and limited government.

About the Opening

The Education Policy Analyst will work with the Education team to provide policy research and data-driven analysis that supports our school finance reform efforts. The role involves researching, summarizing, and analyzing state education laws, and supporting team inquiries about the nuances of complex policies. Specifically, this includes examining appropriations and budget bills, analyzing local taxation practices, and summarizing state school finance formulas, among other duties. This person will also assist with collecting, combining, and modeling datasets that are often difficult to obtain.

The ideal candidate is a team player who is quantitatively oriented, exceptionally resourceful, willing to tackle large projects independently, enjoys problem-solving, and pays close attention to detail. On a typical day, you might spend several hours digging through and interpreting a state’s education code to build out a 50-state comparative analysis, and then shift gears to collecting and cleaning school finance data. On occasion, you might also be asked to write a policy memo and publish a column or blog post.

This role can be done virtually anywhere within the U.S. and is part of Reason’s Fellowship Program . This is a full-time, paid position with benefits that lasts one year from your start date. Many fellows have continued working at Reason after completing their fellowship or have gone on to other notable organizations within our network.

Responsibilities

• Researching and summarizing various components of state education finance laws to support our policy research and implementation efforts
• Compiling and analyzing complex datasets and communicating findings to team members and other stakeholders
• Supporting our quantitative analyst with data projects, which may include statistical analysis and visualizations
• Track legislative reform efforts in various states and produce regular reports for the education policy team
• Track and record various outputs for the education policy team, including legislative meetings, columns, and other outputs
• Support with writing commentary and blog posts for Reason.org and other outlets
• Other duties as assigned
• Occasional travel might be required

Desired Experience & Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills
• Strong Excel skills and comfort combining datasets
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and a programming language such as R is preferred, but not required
• Strong writing and communication skills and an ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-experts
• Curiosity and self-motivation to learn new things and tackle difficult technical problems you may have never dealt with before
• General alignment with Reason Foundation’s mission to advance a free society by developing, applying, and promoting libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets, and the rule of law

Any questions can be directed to Lydia Ocampo, Talent Manager, who is managing the search process: [e-mail] .